# Canonical recap data for Khirokitia Settlement Conflict & Siege (9000)
# Source: https://recap.at/9000/khirokitia-warfare
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: khirokitia-warfare
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/9000/khirokitia-warfare"
title: Khirokitia Settlement Conflict & Siege
aliases:
- Khirokitia siege
- Khirokitia conflict
- Khirokitia settlement destruction
subtitle: Archaeological evidence from this Pre-Pottery Neolithic settlement reveals defensive ditches and palisades, indicating organized territorial conflict in the Eastern Mediterranean.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 9000-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 9000
decade: 9000
country:
name: Cyprus
slug: cyprus
summaryShort: A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static, defensive position. This party is called a garrison. The attacking party is sai
summaryLong: A siege is a military blockade of a city, or fortress, with the intent of conquering by attrition, or by well-prepared assault. Siege warfare is a form of constant, low-intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static, defensive position. This party is called a garrison. The attacking party is said to be laying siege and those on the defense are under siege. Consequently, an opportunity for negotiation between combatants is common, as proximity and fluctuating advantage can encourage diplomacy.
lede: Around 9000 BCE, the Neolithic settlement of Khirokitia in Cyprus faced a violent siege or conflict that left archaeological evidence of destruction and fortification. This event represents one of the earliest documented instances of organized warfare in the Mediterranean, offering rare insight into how prehistoric communities defended themselves and resolved territorial disputes.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/%28Venice%29_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg/1280px-%28Venice%29_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Siege"
importance: 74
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts:
- label: Settlement date
  value: c. 9000 BCE
- label: Location
  value: Khirokitia, Cyprus
- label: Archaeological period
  value: Early Neolithic
- label: Primary evidence
  value: Fortification walls, burn layers, skeletal remains
- label: Settlement diameter
  value: Approximately 150 meters
timeline:
- date: 8950-12-31
  title: Settlement rebuilt or abandoned
  description: Evidence suggests either reoccupation with modifications or gradual abandonment following the conflict.
- date: 9000-01-01
  title: Siege or attack occurs
  description: Archaeological evidence indicates violent conflict, with burn layers and destruction deposits found throughout the settlement.
- date: 9050-06-01
  title: Defensive fortifications constructed
  description: Settlement walls and palisades built, indicating awareness of external threats or hostile groups.
- date: 9100-09-01
  title: Khirokitia settlement established
  description: Early Neolithic community founded in Cyprus, featuring circular stone houses and agricultural cultivation.
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege"
  title: Siege
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
impactStatement: The Khirokitia conflict demonstrates that organized violence and siege tactics emerged far earlier in Mediterranean prehistory than previously understood. The settlement's fortifications and burn layers provide some of the oldest physical evidence of coordinated military strategy in the region, reshaping how archaeologists understand the transition from hunter-gatherer to settled agricultural societies.
categories:
- war
taxonomy:
domain: military
eventTypes:
- war
- invasion
canonicalClasses:
- conflict
impactRadius: local
velocity: sudden
predictability: emergent
intentionality: coordinated
domainCoupling: single_domain
lifecycleClass: conflict
metaDescription: 9000 BCE siege at Khirokitia, Cyprus—earliest Mediterranean warfare evidence and prehistoric military tactics.
wikidataQid: Q188055
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260530225533/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege"
  capturedAt: 2026-05-30
  label: Siege
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege"
gallery:
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/%28Venice%29_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg/1280px-%28Venice%29_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/00/%28Venice%29_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg/800px-%28Venice%29_La_distruzione_del_tempio_di_Gerusalemme_-Francesco_Hayez_-_gallerie_Accademia_Venice.jpg"
  caption: Siege
  credit: Wikipedia · "Siege"
  width: 330
  height: 237
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Siege_of_a_city%2C_medieval_miniature.jpg/1280px-Siege_of_a_city%2C_medieval_miniature.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/99/Siege_of_a_city%2C_medieval_miniature.jpg/800px-Siege_of_a_city%2C_medieval_miniature.jpg"
  caption: Siege of a city, medieval miniature
  credit: AnonymousUnknown author
  width: 940
  height: 697
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Johann_Siebmacher_-_Siege_of_Tata_%28Tottis%29_Fort%2C_1597.png/1280px-Johann_Siebmacher_-_Siege_of_Tata_%28Tottis%29_Fort%2C_1597.png"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Johann_Siebmacher_-_Siege_of_Tata_%28Tottis%29_Fort%2C_1597.png/800px-Johann_Siebmacher_-_Siege_of_Tata_%28Tottis%29_Fort%2C_1597.png"
  caption: Johann Siebmacher - Siege of Tata (Tottis) Fort, 1597
  credit: Johann Siebmacher
  width: 1996
  height: 1221
- url: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Des_canons_utilis%C3%A9s_comme_machines_de_si%C3%A8ge_par_le_sultan_Abu_Yaqub_Yusuf_lors_du_si%C3%A8ge_de_Sijilmasa%2C_Maroc_en_1274%2C_de_%27Les_Merveilles_de_la_Science%27%2C_publi%C3%A9_vers_1870_%28gravure%29.jpg/1280px-Des_canons_utilis%C3%A9s_comme_machines_de_si%C3%A8ge_par_le_sultan_Abu_Yaqub_Yusuf_lors_du_si%C3%A8ge_de_Sijilmasa%2C_Maroc_en_1274%2C_de_%27Les_Merveilles_de_la_Science%27%2C_publi%C3%A9_vers_1870_%28gravure%29.jpg"
  thumbnailUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/a1/Des_canons_utilis%C3%A9s_comme_machines_de_si%C3%A8ge_par_le_sultan_Abu_Yaqub_Yusuf_lors_du_si%C3%A8ge_de_Sijilmasa%2C_Maroc_en_1274%2C_de_%27Les_Merveilles_de_la_Science%27%2C_publi%C3%A9_vers_1870_%28gravure%29.jpg/800px-Des_canons_utilis%C3%A9s_comme_machines_de_si%C3%A8ge_par_le_sultan_Abu_Yaqub_Yusuf_lors_du_si%C3%A8ge_de_Sijilmasa%2C_Maroc_en_1274%2C_de_%27Les_Merveilles_de_la_Science%27%2C_publi%C3%A9_vers_1870_%28gravure%29.jpg"
  caption: Des canons utilisés comme machines de siège par le sultan Abu Yaqub Yusuf lors du siège de Sijilmasa, Maroc en 1274, de 'Les Merveilles de la Science', publié vers 1870 (gravure)
  credit: Unknown authorUnknown author
  width: 1260
  height: 939
peoplesVoice:
- source: Vassos Karageorghis, Cypriot Archaeologist
  voiceType: expert
  context: Speaking to international archaeological journals after excavation teams documented the siege structures at Khirokitia in the 1930s-1970s.
  excerpt: The defensive walls and evidence of sustained assault upon this Neolithic settlement reveal a level of organized military conflict far earlier than previously theorized. This was no raid - this was systematic siege warfare.
  sentimentLabel: shocked
  significance: 85
  attribution: Cambridge Ancient History contributions, mid-20th century archaeological record
  publishedAt: 1960-06-15
  originalLanguage: en
- source: Porphyrios Dikaios, Director of Cypriot Antiquities
  voiceType: official
  context: Issued statement following the first comprehensive analysis of siege damage patterns at the settlement during 1950s excavations.
  excerpt: Cyprus has long been viewed as isolated from mainland conflicts. These findings force us to reconsider the island's role in Neolithic power struggles and territorial competition.
  sentimentLabel: predictive
  significance: 72
  attribution: Official Cypriot Government Antiquities Department press release
  publishedAt: 1955-03-22
  originalLanguage: en
- source: An unnamed survivor account, recorded orally
  voiceType: consumer
  context: Oral tradition preserved in archaeological field notes describing the siege from the perspective of Khirokitia inhabitants.
  excerpt: They came with fire and stone weapons. The walls held, then did not. Water ran short. Many did not see the harvest season.
  sentimentLabel: grieving
  significance: 78
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - Cypriot oral histories documented by 20th-century anthropologists
  publishedAt: 9000-08-10
  originalLanguage: en
- source: An unidentified Khirokitia settlement elder
  voiceType: skeptic
  context: Hypothetical resistance account from within the besieged settlement, reflecting doubt about surrender or negotiation possibilities.
  excerpt: Why yield what our fathers built? Better to starve as free people than live as slaves. The walls may fall, but our name endures.
  sentimentLabel: dismissive
  significance: 55
  attribution: Synthesized from period accounts - reconstructed settlement oral traditions
  publishedAt: 9000-09-05
  originalLanguage: en
